‘Trips are the thing we all remember from our school days’: The learning value of school trips for children with special educational needs from the perspective of primary school teachers

Abstract

Various childhood and education theorists affirm the benefits of hands-on and contextual learning opportunities for children and young people. Learners with special educational needs and disability (SEND) often display low levels of engagement. Teachers may utilise innovative pedagogical approaches to increase learning engagement and participation, such as taking their classes on a school trip. This study explores primary school teachers' views of using school trips to enhance learning and development for learners with SEND in the United Kingdom (UK). A questionnaire was distributed through Microsoft Forms, and 54 primary school teachers from the United Kingdom participated in this study. A range of open-ended and closed questions facilitated the opportunity for the teachers to discuss the benefits and challenges of educational school trips for learners with SEND. The primary school teachers identified extensive affordances of educational school trips, with 100% of participants responding that school trips can have learning and developmental benefits for learners with SEND. Additionally, various skills were identified that the teachers believe school trips facilitate children with SEND to acquire and develop, including social skills. However, the teachers identified challenges and limitations to planning and implementing school trips, including accessibility and socio-economic barriers.